Sometimes it baffles me that Star Trek: Voyager didn't show more of the relationship between Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and her finacé Mark (Stan Ivar). As the star of Voyager's cast of characters, Janeway was the definitive head of a large ensemble and the first female lead that the Star Trek franchise ever featured. As such, Janeway and Mulgrew were both inspirations to many, and continue to have a lasting impact on the franchise with further appearances in modern series like Star Trek: Prodigy.
I have long considered Captain Janeway as one of the best Star Trek characters. Mulgrew's portrayal of her is flawless, and Janeway's combination of authority, humor, stubborn determination, and deep compassion has always struck a chord with me, drawing me into Voyager from the very first. However, for every Janeway storyline that Voyager handled well, there were some that I feel weren't explored as thoroughly as they could have been, including one of the most important relationships of her life.
Why Star Trek: Voyager Needed To Show Showed More Janeway & Her Forgotten Fiancé
Janeway and Mark's break up wasn't very impactful
At the start of Voyager season 1, Janeway was engaged to Mark Johnson, a relationship that was barely shown at all during the show's run. This was mainly because Mark was not a Starfleet officer, and Janeway left him on Earth when the ship became stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Janeway had no way to contact Mark until season 4, episode 15, "Hunters," when Voyager's crew received the first letters from their families in four years. However, Janeway and Mark's relationship ended on a whimper rather than a bang when she discovered he'd moved on, thinking her dead.
Losing Mark seemed to be just as much an afterthought for Janeway as it did for viewers.
Janeway and Mark's break-up during "Hunters" was played as a painful moment, but for me, it never hit as hard as it could have. Voyager showed us nothing of Janeway and Mark's relationship aside from a few disparate moments. By season 4, I wouldn't be surprised if viewers had forgotten about Mark altogether, despite him being an important member of Janeway's love interests. If Voyager had featured more of Mark, the audience could have felt Janeway's pain with her. Instead, losing Mark seemed to be just as much an afterthought for Janeway as it did for viewers.
Why Captain Janeway Never Had A Serious Romance On Star Trek: Voyager
Romance wasn't really part of Janeway's story
Additionally, Janeway's romances during Voyager's run were fleeting at best, including Mark. Although Janeway had the occasional lover during certain episodes, her overall storyline didn't feature much romance, and certainly nothing long-term. It's interesting to consider what could have been if Voyager had made more out of Janeway and Mark's past relationship. Instead, Janeway focused on the present and prioritized her ship and crew, zeroing in on getting them home while letting her personal life fall by the wayside.
To give some idea of how rare and often bizarre Janeway's romantic encounters were, one of her most famous relationships during Voyager 's run was with a non-sentient hologram.
This was partially a decision by Kate Mulgrew, who wanted Janeway to be respected as a character and knew the double standard for women at the time would prevent this if her story was too romantically focused. For the most part, I agree that a lack of romance for Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager was the right choice. The absence of a serious relationship put her in line with other previous Star Trek Captains, including Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart). However, I can't help but feel that not exploring Mark further was a missed opportunity.
